The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-23

WHICH ne now WOTKS.
This is Universalism; this is the
wreck of wrong; this is the triumph of
truth and righteousness, and we do
claim that our faith in the victory of
Christ over sin is the only thorough
and complete faith; and men have APP
preached our faith, and uttered it in
certain privileged moments, when, in the
even tenor of their way, they have de-
MED it and perhaps reviled it in a
misconception of it. Talmage's utter
ance to which have referred, involved
the principle of the victory of right over
wrong, as do the Bible utterances, and
he proclaimed the principles of Univer-
salism when he knew it not, and his
soul encompassed more thorough
faith in the Christ than his creed makes
provision for. And so are men contin-
ually doing; and that men are becom-
ing more practical and more humane
in their visions, heralds brighter, bet
ter day for humanity.
All sin or evil may be ranged in two
general classes.
1. The evils of ignorance or of i'm
perfection.
2. The evils of wrong education, of
habit, of character.
Both impulsive and willful sins be-
long to the latter class-evils of char
acter.
The first class, the evils of ignorance
OF of imperfection, are manifestly neg
alive in their nature, and disappear and
are overcome by education and enlight-
eminent and moral growth.
The evils of wrong education, of
habit, of character, are not so readily
overcome, and yet they carry with
themselves a certain disorganizing, dis
integrating, suicidal tendency. But
the wicked character outlasts the acct
dents of time. A wicked scheme may
be defeated. but the wicked character
remains to plan another. And repeat
ed defeats, and may be many sore de-
feats, are only sufficient with the grace
that finds the heart, to educate and
help it away from wrong.
A wicked character is out of har-
mony with its surroundings. 1t chal-
lenges the world to oppose it. 1t is I'M
friendly to the interest of it's neighbor,
and this urges the neighbor to watch
it, and, in its guilt, seek to chain it.
Only the love that would bless and not
harm is permitted freedom. The sell
fish good must consist with the gen.
eral good; if it does not in certain in
dividual cases, it must be made to con-
sist with it, at first, at least, not to
interfere with it, and thus wickedness
cannot be licensed virtually, and is al
ways out of harmony with the nature
of things. And every rational creature
must learn the lesson sometime, and
profit by it, that the ways of the wick
ed are unstable, and there is no real
happiness and no real gain, but in the
way of righteousness and peace.
We say evil is suicidal 1t runs its
course. 1t brings crisis. 1.-THE wick
ed is shared in the work of his own
hand" This is true only because the
of that power that makes
for righteousness is in the very consti-
tuition of everything, and he rules the
world by agencies charged with his pur-
pose. For this purpose" says John,
twas the Son of God manifested, that
he might destroy the works of the
devil" which he says are sin and evil.
The evils of the wicked character, are
the most suicidal, most self destructive,
but as the evils of Ignorance, the lesser
evils, are not removed without educa-
tive agencies, so the evils of the wicked
are not really overcome with
out the saving agency of divine truth
and the righteous life, for after evils
have run their course in their outward
have met with the righteous
of defeat, the wicked
from which proceeds evil
deeds, may be unchanged, except it
learn the lesson of righteousness by the
suggestions of an over-providence, and,
learning the lesson, receives the life of
truth and grows in the graces of the
virtuous character.
But we insist that the very defeat of
wrong doing in every age and genera
ton, shows how the weight of Gods
purpose lies on the universe, and how
through outward suggestions he will
reach and control the heart of man,
for his council must stand, and his |
pleasure must be done.
Turn an evil loose in the world, and |
.he weight of an over-purpose will |
crush it, and that purpose will equally |
inter into the evil and bring it to a
through its own movements.
Turn the evil of intemperance loose in
his country, let there be no laws to
egulate or restrain it, and it would
ioon become public calamity, and the
public would be compelled to forsake
t. l do not say it would be best to
urn it loose and let it commit suicide,
IS it would, for the waste in its track
would be too great; ruined characters